Ambulatory Accreditation

Make your commitment to accreditation readiness

At the core of our mission and vision is the 1095 Strong, quality every day philosophy. This commitment to ongoing education and quality improvement demonstrates survey readiness not only on the day of the survey but all 1,095 days of the accreditation term. A complete list of AAAHC Policies and Procedures can be found within the Accreditation Handbook for Ambulatory Health Care.

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Surveys tailored to your organization

AAAHC tailors your accreditation survey to the type, size, and range of services offered by your organization. AAAHC determines the length of the onsite visit and the number of surveyors based on your Application for Accreditation and supporting documents. These factors determine your survey fee.

We welcome questions regarding the scope of your survey or the estimated survey cost. Application fees are non-refundable.

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For additional details regarding scheduling and cancellation policies, review the current version of the handbook applicable to your program.

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Qualify for accreditation

An organization is considered for accreditation by AAAHC on an individual basis and is eligible for accreditation if it meets all of the following criteria.

The organization

1. has been providing health care services for at least six months before the onsite survey, excluding organizations seeking accreditation through an Early Option Survey (EOS)
2. is either a formally organized and legally constituted entity that primarily provides health care services, or a sub-unit that primarily provides such services within a formally organized and legally constituted entity that may be, but need not be, health related
3. is in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, or, for organizations operating outside of the United States, all applicable laws and regulations
4. is licensed by the state in which it is located, if the state requires licensure for that organization, unless the organization is applying for a survey that will be used to obtain licensure in a state that recognizes AAAHC accreditation for this purpose
5. provides health care services under the direction of one of the following health care professionals; (these individuals or groups of professionals must accept responsibility for the health care provided by the organization and must be licensed in accordance with applicable state laws)
   • Doctor of medicine or osteopathy (MD/DO)
   • Doctor of dental surgery or dental medicine (DDS/DMD)
   • Doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM)
   • Doctor of optometry (OD)
   • Doctor of chiropractic (DC)
   • Advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) practicing in compliance with state law and regulation
   • Licensed clinical behavioral health professional in a behavioral health setting
6. shares the facilities, equipment, business management, and records involved in patient care among the members of the organization
7. operates in compliance with U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission laws
8. submits the completed, signed Application for Survey, all supporting documents, and the nonrefundable application fee in advance of the survey
9. pays the appropriate fees in accordance with AAAHC policies; see Fees and Scheduling section above
10. acts in good faith in providing complete and accurate information to AAAHC during the accreditation process and throughout a term of accreditation

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Earn your accreditation term

AAAHC awards accreditation for three years when it concludes that the organization is in substantial compliance with the Standards, and when AAAHC has no reservations about the organization’s continuing commitment to provide high-quality patient care and services consistent with the Standards. Organizations may receive a three-year term with intracycle activities required for continued assessment of ongoing compliance with the Standards.

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Post your public Notice of Survey

AAAHC reminds all organizations that the policy requires a Notice of Survey be posted prominently throughout the organization for (30) calendar days prior to the scheduled survey date(s), with the exception of random and discretionary surveys.

To download the Notice of Survey, log in to your 1095 Engage Profile and click on Help Curtain.

Understand a denial or revocation of accreditation

AAAHC denies accreditation to an organization when it concludes that the organization is not in substantial compliance with AAAHC Standards and/or policies and procedures.

AAAHC reserves the right to revoke or deny the accreditation of any organization at any time without prior notice. Your AAAHC account manager will help you navigate the requirements to remain in good standing.

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